Here's the first chapter for my new fanfiction. I wrote it with my friend, Jess, as a roleplay, so I credit her entirely for the parts that she wrote. I hope you enjoy this series. ^^ I doubt it will be longer than eight chapters though, but I do encourage you to stick around.
Reviews are always loved. Any feedback is much appreciated, even negative criticism, but FLAMING is not. . It's not hard to state criticism in a nice way.
I know this chapter might be a bit boring and discourage people from reading the rest, but I hope that you enjoy it anyways.


Why are you leaving...?
It's something I've always been able to do...
Is it because of that? Is it really?
Mother, it's not normal for me to be able to speak with them, is it?

The memories were rushing back to him. Disappointment, loneliness, and uncertainty suddenly gripped Xane's heart. He chewed on his lips as he watched the crowd and took a step back.
Perhaps it would be best not to get involved with them in the first place...
It wasn't fair. It was a gift, not a curse. Why did it have to act the opposite?

It was the first time that Xane had come into contact with other trainers since he'd left Hoenn. No, this was the first time he'd ran into any trainers for quite awhile. Even in Hoenn he tried to stay away from other trainers. It wasn't that he disliked trainers. He stayed away from everyone. It didn't help that he was already homesick and the peninsula which Pallet Town lay upon could not compare to the island of Mossdeep City. However, the tranquility of the town was a nice change from the large island's bustling scientists who worked at the space center. He had grown to dislike the conceited scientists who believed themselves to be omniscients.

The one thing that Xane did miss was Wailmer watching. Liar would laze about in the warm waters as her lithe body snaked through the ocean while Fang hovered nearby, preferring to shroud himself in the shadows of trees. Although Shade too would prefer to hide in darkness, he didn't necessarily mind the sunlight as much as the Golbat.

"Xane, trainers are ahead," the Absol mused, nodding in the direction of Professor Oak's laboratory. As Xane lifted his head, tiring from staring at his feet, he saw the people gathering nearby. Although none of them were rookies, the professor's lab was an area for the trainers to gather to explore the land in groups. After all, there was safety in numbers.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea..." Xane muttered. He was used to being alone and liked it that way. He didn't need anyone else as long as Liar, Fang, and Shade were with him.

"Please, Xane, do try," the Dragonair urged. "It is safer that way." After hearing Liar speak, Xane knew it was impossible for him to argue for his grievances. The Dragonair never lied despite her nickname. The name had come from this personality trait of hers. Liar claimed she always told the truth, and Xane thought it impossible for a Pokemon or human to never fib, which was why from that day on, he called her Liar. He was young, and the Dragonair had been a Dratini back then.

"But I have the three of you," Xane insisted.

A low growl sounded within Shade's throat. "Do you fear rejection?" the Absol asked.

Xane stopped shuffling his feet along the grass, giving mercy to the blades beneath his feet. He glanced behind him, seeing that he'd left a trail of flat grass behind. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around people. He was used to having them deviate away from him. It was them who didn't want to be around him. People would often ask him if he was psychic. How else was he able to speak with his three Pokemon?

They would ask him: Are you sure you're not psychic?

And he would reply: ... Yes, I'm afraid not.

But they would keep pushing on: But Liza and Tate are your siblings, aren't they?

So all he could say was: ... You are correct.

It was obvious that genetics had come into play when Liza and Tate were born. They were the spitting images of their parents. Xane was the odd one out. He didn't hate his brother and sister. Actually, he was quite fond of the twins.

"Xane, you're Wailmer-watching again?" they would say in unison.

Xane stood up from his crouch as the twins even waved together in sync. "Yeah, I am," he said with a smile.

"Mom and Dad were getting worried because it's getting late!" Liza exclaimed.

"We followed your aura here," Tate explained.

Xane nodded, chuckling a bit. "Yeah, I know the drill."

"Yours is easy to find because it is blue. It's the color of Liar," Tate said, pointing at the Dragonair in the Mossdeep oceans.

"And yours isn't?" Xane tilted his head to the side, curious.

Liza shook her head from side to side. "Nope. Ours are pink."

Xane never did find out how the twins could stalk him by following his aura. What did it look like? He'd always been curious, but had never been able to see them. The one talent he did possess was unique to himself. Not even Liza and Tate could communicate with Pokemon the way he did. He spoke with them, able to translate their words into human speech verbatim. He wouldn't trade this ability for any other in the world.

He glanced back down at Shade and shook his head. "I don't know. I'm just... used to being alone." The ghost of a smile flitted over his face for a moment at the Absol. "But you know, you don't have to worry about me."

"Shade, worried over someone?" Fang chuckled, hovering closer to the Absol with a shocked expression on his face. His wide, open mouth added to the effect, even if he was not opening it on purpose.

"I think I should be fine on my own," Xane assured his Pokemon as he reached up to stroke Liar's neck.

The Dragonair frowned at him. "If that is what you are most comfortable with, then I shall not object," she said, nuzzling her trainer's dark hair gingerly. From far away, his hair appeared to be black, but from close up, it was actually a very dark blue shade. Unlike Liza and Tate, his eyes were a blue color as well, but their grandfather had the same eyes, so the genetics could have skipped a generation.

"You fool! Of course you're good enough for them," Shade hissed, his tail raised as he growled at Xane. "I may not be a Psychic-type but I can read you like an open book." The Absol had been with his trainer for at least ten years. If he was not able to understand his trainer after all that time, what kind of a partner would he be? Shade had mysteriously appeared at the Mossdeep City gym leader's house doorstep and refused to leave it. From the first day, Shade followed Xane around like an obedient puppy. However, the Absol had never explained why he'd stuck around for so long. Absols only appeared to humans to warn them of impending danger. So far, Xane hadn't run into any, unless the only danger he was to experience was his social skill impediments.

He shifted his black backpack to his other shoulder for a moment. He didn't own many possessions which made it easier for him to run away. All he had were the basic supplies such as changes of clothing, some money, his three Pokeballs, a map, and some Max Potions. He'd escaped from his home. He was tired of being a disappointment. His parents had looked down upon his knack with Dark-type and Poison-type Pokemon. It should have been him who inherited the Mossdeep Gym when they retired, but he was inferior to Liza and Tate. As soon as he'd saved up enough money, he'd left the island. Fifteen was far old enough for him to take care of himself, especially when there were ten-year-olds running around on their own Pokemon journeys.

"So, here you are in Kanto. Are you going to start searching for where you belong?" Fang asked, descending slightly in the air to an altitude of five feet.

"Yes, that is precisely what I am going to do," Xane replied, slipping the backpack off his shoulder. He unzipped the front pocket and pulled out a map of the region. After unfolding it, he frowned. He'd never been very good with maps.

"... Why is everything upside-down? I can't read anything at all..." He squinted, trying to find Pallet Town on the net of colored lines which represented routes towards large cities and small towns. "I can't even find Pallet town on here."

"It's upside-down, child," Liar stated. She'd always called Xane her child ever since he was young. Although he'd reached the age of fifteen, he'd always be an oblivious child to the Dragonair. After all, not even his parents knew the dragon's true age.

After flipping the map around, Xane gave it a nod of approval. "I see. Here's Saffron, Cinnabar, and Cerulean..." he said, "but I still can't find Pallet Town... Dammit where is it? This is a terrible map!"

That was all it took for Fang to fall out of the air. He landed flat on his face seemingly immune to the pain of impact. "And this is precisely why we recommend you find someone to travel with you."